PLAY Canberra Issue 34 by Play Canberra

Issue #34 MAY 2014

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FORTUNE FAVOURS THE

BRAVE

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Contents

From the Editor

EDITORIAL. Nathan Minerds - editor@playcanberra.com.au 0452 220 100. ADVERTISING advertise@playcanberra.com.au 0452 220 100. www.playcanberra.com.au.

MAY 2014

Important Initiates Released

04 Weightlifting Glasgow bound - Kylie Lindbeck. 06 The State of PLAY - Rugby Union Canberra Vikings Set to Sail 08 Feature Fortune Favours the Brave

I’m a big supporter of the idea that a healthy (both mentally and physically) society requires active participation in sport and physical activity at all levels. I’m also a big believer in inclusiveness in sport - no one should be denied the chance to participate in sporting activities whatsoever. A few key announcements have been made recently which support this ideal so I think are worth noting.

ASC commends draft anti-homophobia framework

010 The State of PLAY - AFL Three Big Questions 011 NEAFL 2014 Captians 012 The State of PLAY - Rugby League Emotions Run High 014 The State of PLAY - Football The EPL Title Run

Australian Sports Commission (ASC) Chief Executive Simon Hollingsworth today congratulated the Bingham Cup Sydney 2014 Organising Committee on finalising a draft anti-homophobia framework for the Australian Rugby Union, National Rugby League, Australian Football League, Football Federation Australia and Cricket Australia. “This is an important milestone for sport in Australia as the Bingham Cup 2014 will serve as a catalyst for change across the four major football codes and cricket regarding discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation,” Hollingsworth said.

016 Socials images From Around the Capital

“We want to see gay, lesbian and bisexual players, coaches, administrators and fans welcomed in our sports and want them to participate fully and freely in those sports.

018 Rugby Union John I Dent season 2014

“We have also been instrumental in an anti-homophobia in sport initiative that Play by the Rules has developed to take advantage of the Bingham Cup being hosted in Australia for the first time.”

019 ACTEWAGL Calendar What’s on this Month

The campaign features high profile sportsmen and women including Alessandro Del Piero, Harry Kewell and Lauren Jackson advocating the anti-homophobia in sport message.

020 Football National Premier League 2014

Healthly Canberra Grants

022 Body Science Training Too Young??

Chief Minister Katy Gallagher announced the successful applicants for the $2.2m Healthy Canberra Grants program which supports nongovernment programs aimed at reducing obesity in the ACT community.

026 Rugby Union Brumbies on Track

“The Healthy Canberra Grants are a key feature of the ACT Government’s Towards Zero Growth initiative that was introduced last year and the programs that these grants will fund include a range of programs focused on reducing obesity in different sectors of our community,” the Chief Minister said.

031 Tennis Clay Beginnings

“The government decided to restructure the Healthy Canberra Grants in order to allocate larger amounts of funding to a small group of successful applicants who have proven their ability to maximise the benefits of their projects to the wider ACT community.”

032 Dragon Boat Leading by Example CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:

Photographers:

Antony Perry Brett McKay Brendan Parnell Russ Gibbs Josh Matic Todd Davey Lyndall Parker

Ben Coughlan Ben Southall www.bensouthall.com.au Nudgepix Photography www.nudgepix.com.au Amandakelly.com.au Joseph Purdam

The successful applicants in this round of the Healthy Canberra Grants include: ACT Medicare Local, The Physical Activity Foundation, YMCA of Canberra, Heart Foundation ACT and Gordon Primary School. “There is no silver bullet to reduce the incidence of obesity in our community and I am confident that these programs will target a wide cross-section of the community to teach people about how they can lead healthier lifestyles and in turn reduce their weight,” the Chief Minister said.

DISCLAIMER: PLAY Canberra is a monthly magazine distributed to over 500 locations in Canberra on the first Thursday of the month. The opinions, view and comments expressed in PLAY do not necessarily reflect those of the editor or publisher. PLAY Canberra is not responsible for the information submitted in the ads by the advertisers.

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Nathan Minerds Editor. PLAY CANBERRA MAY 2014

Weightlifting

glasgow bound

over to Scotland and I was lucky enough to pick up an amazing coach in Lyn Jones here (at ACTAS) and he has coached me for the last year now.”

he ACTAS has a proud tradition as a training centre of international sporting stars. A walk through the gym foyer shows an honor board with some of the biggest names in Australian sport.

In only two short years Lindbeck has come along way in the very technical world of Olympic weight lifting. “I only got into the sport in 2012. I was exposed to it in crossfit but only really started in 2012. It’s hugely technique based, frustrating sometimes, but I think that’s what drew me to it as well, I like the technicality of it. There were habits I picked up, different coaching points from the coaches I have been involved with and then I came here (to ACTAS) and refined it all.”

The next name to add to that board will be Canberra weight lifter Kylie Lindbeck as she trains full speed ahead for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. Lindbeck all but guaranteed her Commonwealth Games ticket last month after breaking two personal bests at the selection competition on the Gold Coast. “we are training towards it (The Commonwealth Games)” Lindbeck recently told PLAY. “I think the (notification) date is at the end of the month, so it’s still ages away. The AWF has nominated the team, which I’ve been named in, so now its just up to the Commonwealth Games Association to do all the paper work and finalize everything, as far as I know it’s all good”. The hard work has paid of for Lindbeck whose transition from crossfit to Olympic Weightlifting was based on the opportunity to go to the Commonwealth Games as Lindbeck explained: “I was doing cross fit, which has a lot of Olympic

lifting in it. I went into a couple of club competitions and then one of the coaches from ACTAS, Phil Moreland offered to coach me if I gave up crossfit and he put the Commonwealth games in my mind. I thought “yeah right, but we’ll see how we go” and then I made it to the Nationals twice under him and then my first Australian team at the Oceania championships. Since then he has moved

“With all the services ACTAS provide; sport science, nutrition and sport psychology, they have been a big help. It’s been good to train in this facility.” With 7 sessions a week, each lasting up to three hours there’s a good chance you’ll catch Kylie at the ACTAS gym or at her second base - CrossFit Base in Tuggeranong. That is until the end of July, when Lindbeck will be fulfilling a dream at the Commonwealth Games, a dream only 2 years in the making and just the start of a much longer journey.

Sport & Recreation Services Education & Training Calendar – MAY Course

Delivery Date

Location

Time

Engaging Parents

Thursday 15 May

220 Northbourne Ave Braddon

6pm- 8pm

How to build and maintain an effective parent support team in your club and coaching program. Mentor Training

Thursday 22 May

220 Northbourne Ave Braddon

9am- 5pm

Develop and enhance the skills of mentors working with coaches and officials both in the community and in high performance sporting environments. Board Member Bootcamp

Monday 26 May

220 Northbourne Ave Braddon

6pm- 9pm

A practical workshop to help community Board members whip themselves into shape. Member Protection Information Officer (MPIO) Training

Thursday 5 June

220 Northbourne Ave Braddon

9am- 5pm

The MPIO course will increase understanding of harassment, discrimination and child protection in sport while teaching practical skills that will assist anyone taking on the role of MPIO. Registration forms can be found at: http://www.economicdevelopment.act.gov.au/sport_and_recreation/learn Or by emailing sport_act@act.gov.au

PLAY CANBERRA MAY 2014

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Tuggeranong Multi-Purpose Sports Hall

he Tuggeranong Multi-Purpose Sports Hall was developed by the Tuggeranong Archery Club with $2.1m in support from the ACT Government. Located next to the existing outdoor archery range, the facility allows outdoor, field, clout and indoor archery to all be delivered in the one location, making this a unique archery facility in Australia. The large, flexible indoor hall space with sports flooring, supported by offices, meeting rooms and storage, was designed to support a range of different activities beyond archery. Since completion in 2013 the facility now hosts a number of other sports including Table Tennis, Badminton, Floorball, Fencing, Trampolining and Boccia (disabled bocce), proving

already a most valuable addition to the Valley’s community infrastructure. For details on different users groups or information on facility hire see http://home.tuggeranongarchery. com/ or contact hallmanager@ tuggeranongarchery.com In addition to indoor sports space,

the facility includes a home for the Tuggeranong Men’s Shed at the rear of the complex. Here, men from all walks of life can meet, create, learn and converse in a supportive environment which is the trademark of the Men’s Shed movement.

play by the rules - Parent Behaviour and Kids Sport. coach calls one of his seven year old players aside and asks, “do you understand what cooperation is?” The little boy nods ‘yes’.

model and remember that children’s sport is ultimately about having fun and being with their friends.

“Do you understand that we play as a team and want to have fun?” The little boy nods ‘yes’ again.

• applaud when the opposing team scores a goal or try,

Parents should therefore:

• applaud the good play by both teams,

The coach then says, “so I’m sure you know that when a foul is called you shouldn’t argue, curse, or call the referee names?” Again the little boy nods.

• support their child in an encouraging, supportive manner, • support the decisions of the coach, umpire or the team manager.

“And when I take you out of the game it’s not good sportsmanship to yell at the coach?” Again the little boy nods.

They must not: • let their frustrations show during their child’s sport,

“Good” said the coach. “Now go over there and explain all that to your parents.” When our kids join a team sport there are really two lessons we want them to learn. The first is about the sport and how to play the game. The other is the most important and is about life: how to show up, participate, take risks, fall down and get back up, win and lose with grace and how to treat friends, opponents and officials. And through www.playcanberra.com.au

• question the decisions of the umpire/referee publicly, playing sport, our children learn these valuable life lessons.

• belittle their child or any of the other participants during the game, and

Parents have a great impact on how children learn these lessons and develop values including teamwork, cooperation, confidence and respect and most importantly enjoy their sport. Parents need to be a positive role

• make derogatory comments to anyone about any aspect of the game. For more information on addressing parent behaviour at kids sport visit www.playbytherules.net.au. PLAY CANBERRA MAY 2014

The State of Play - Rugby Union.

Canberra Vikings set to sail again Brett McKay - @BMcSport

ome great news coming out of Australian Rugby Union HQ last month, with the announcement that a new professional domestic competition will commence in August this year.

The National Rugby Championship will be played over 11 weeks, running from the third weekend in August through to the first weekend in November. Nine teams have been included, playing four home and four away games plus a bye, with the top four teams progressing to a Finals series. The nine teams include Brisbane City and Queensland Country; Sydney Stars, North Harbour Rays, Greater Sydney Rams, and New South Wales Country; plus teams in Perth, Melbourne, and Canberra. Essentially, Super Rugby players - minus those on Wallabies duty, with The Rugby Championship running at the same time - will be joined throughout the nine clubs by the best of the club ranks around the country, with the NRC filling that everincreasing gap between the tiers of rugby in Australia. For Canberra, this means the third incarnation of the Canberra Vikings, who most recently played in the one season of the Australian Rugby Championship in 2007, and who also had three very successful seasons in the Brisbane Premiership previous to that. In actual fact, the Vikings will play under the University of Canberra banner for the NRC, with the side this time around to be backed by a three-way partnership between UC, the Vikings Group, and run by

the Brumbies. And hasn’t it caused a stir! For some vocal portions of the region’s rugby supporters, the ‘Vikings’ part of the name has been difficult to swallow, with many overlooking the sponsorship angle and instead interpreting things as a direct feed to the Tuggeranong rugby powerhouse. The side being coached by former Tuggeranong mentor and current Brumbies assistant coach, Dan McKellar, as well as playing their four home games at Viking Park in Erindale is not helping to break the distinction, either. An online petition was even created, in attempt to sway the UC Vikings away from the red and black colours Canberra Vikings sides in the past have worn (including in the ARC in 2007), and back toward a more traditional ACT colour palate. Like so many other details regarding the team, clearly the issue of colours is one that will take some time to be sorted out. Regardless, like the Brumbies themselves and even the Canberra Kookaburras outfit that essentially laid the platform for the Brumbies to be created, the Vikings Group’s backing is vital. Senior figures from various clubs have suggested that any criticisms are unwarranted, and that the NRC side needs all of Canberra’s support regardless of allegiances and misconceptions. And that’s certainly true. Whatever they wear, it’s important that Canberra’s NRC side is supported every bit as well as

the 2007-model Vikings were in the ARC. Indeed, the Canberra Vikings were one of the better-run, most supported teams in that competition. The competition itself shapes as an exciting addition to the Australian rugby calendar. With Super Rugby concluding by the first weekend of August, rugby in this country in recent years has only been served at the elite level by the Wallabies. But with the Wallabies only playing four home Tests at most during The Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup schedules, there are simply too many weekends were rugby is simply not seen. The NRC won’t automatically out-rate the AFL and NRL finals, but it’s still important for the game in Australian to be played at a decent level at that time of year. Furthermore, and I say this with no disrespect to the various club competitions around the country, it provides a better standard of rugby for those coming out of the Super Rugby season, particularly those wanting to push their Wallabies selection claims. Not to mention those already in the Wallabies squad, but not required on match day. It’s long overdue, the NRC. Even if the abolition of the ARC made financial sense after its one season, from a rugby development perspective, the decision set Australia back years. Yes, we’ve added a fifth Super Rugby side in that time, but the nine NRC teams will provide so many more opportunities for the cream of the country’s rugby talent.

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Do You Know the Next Canberra Milk Kid?

Looks like the whole family wins this year with the home entertainment package including a Samsung 55inch LED TV, Samsung home theatre pack, Samsung Blu-ray player and a Sony PlayStation 4 + extra controller and 1 game of winner’s choice.

elicopter rides, Zoo tours, hanging out with celebrities and V.I.P treatment at NRL, Super Rugby, WNBL and ABL matches. Sounds like an episode of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, all this and more will be experienced in one great year for one lucky Canberra kid.

The competition runs from MONDAY 7th of April and closes 8PM Sunday 11th of May.

The Canberra Milk Kid competition is back!! (and yes, if you’re anything like me you’ll be singing the Canberra Milk Kid song in your head all day now). As if this wasn’t enough, this year there’s more. This year Canberra Milk has raised the stakes as explained by Canberra Milk’s Kylie McCaffery “this time round we’re giving away a bigger prize than ever! Alongside the traditional prizes of a Snowy Hydro helicopter ride, Canberra Zoo tours and great V.I.P sporting experiences, we’re also offering our lucky winner a home entertainment package valued at over $5000.”

To enter head along to canberramilk.com.au

Helicopter rides, Zoo tours, hanging out with celebrities and V.I.P treatment at NRL, Super Rugby, WNBL and ABL matches. “We think every kid deserves the chance to have their time in the spotlight” Kylie Added.

To make sure you’re always in the know Canberra Milk also has all the social media options covered. Like on Facebook: facebook.com/canberramilk Follow on Twitter: @canberra_milk Follow on Instagram: @canberramilk. And keep an eye out for the campaign hashtag #CMK2014.

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Feature

Fortune favours the brave The Birth of a Club. Images: bensouthall.com.au morning at 8 o’clock and spent a day getting a proposal together. The fact that we managed to turn around a proposal that was successful to the league within 3 days was … surprising and difficult. It was all a bit miraculous I suppose.” Peter said with a laugh. They weren’t the only ones surprised by the speed at which the successful proposal was put together. AIHL deputy Commissioner Alex Lata gave PLAY the League’s perspective on the situation.

hen the news started filtering through that the Canberra Knights were no longer and the capital wouldn’t have a team in the Australian Ice hockey League (AIHL) many thought – that’s a shame but that’s that I guess, I mean what other options are there?

One of the first guys on board was successful local businessman and sport lover Peter Chamberlain. Peter, who’s wife happens to be Mark’s cousin, heard that the team had been pulled and Mark and a group of senior players were pulling something together to keep the licence up and a new team running.

Team captain Mark Rummukainen wasn’t taking the news lying down. He instantly got into gear and started assembling a team that could pull off the impossible – get a competitive national league organization together in a few short weeks.

“I sent Mark a message saying - give me a call I can help you fix this - and that was on the Wednesday night. The next morning (Thursday) I had a phone conversation with Mark and that night we turned up to Dave Lewis’ place for a meeting of players, officials and different people involved, so it was all born from there.” Peter told PLAY.

As long time player Brad Hunt told PLAY recently “I found out and I thought – well that’s the end of it, so all I wanted to do with Rummo was set up a charity game, say good bye to the fans and have the old knights, the new knights come out and have a really good goodbye and he said – no no no let’s do something a bit different to that and as soon as that happened it was like that fire come back, the stuff that Rummo, the board and a couple of other guys put together and the work that was put in in 6 weeks - we did more work in 6 weeks than most teams would do in 6 months.”

PLAY CANBERRA MAY 2014

The amazing aspect is the speed at which everything needed to be done. “By the time we got to that meeting Mark had already been in contact with the league and had determined that they were open to a new group taking the licence over and Canberra continuing with a team in the league. From there it was basically a case of working out what we need to achieve and how we go about achieving that. “We scheduled a meeting on Saturday

“It was all a little crazy I guess, we got notice from the previous owner that he wouldn’t be able to participate in the season and that the team was pulling out. We said, alright there’s nothing we can do, we’ve got 2 weeks before the start of the season and we thought we need to keep the season as it is and scrap the Canberra games because its too late to rework the schedule. Then about 2 days later I got a call from Mark Rummukainen and he said “What can we do?” I wasn’t very optimistic to be honest and I said: you’ve got basically this weekend to sort something out, you’ve got until Monday. You need to show us that you can finance yourself, that you’ve got a rink to play at and that you’ve got good governance structure in place. You need to prove that you know how to run it. It was also important that you prove you have a competitive team. “Long story short – Mark and Peter put forward a really impressive proposal and demonstrated to us that they could meet all the criteria. We had an emergency meeting with all the teams and said we recommend this proposal but at the end of the day it’s up to the teams and they voted them in and away we went.” And then the hard work begun. Off-the-ice Off-the-ice the team needed to create an identity from scratch – they didn’t have a name yet – and that task belonged www.playcanberra.com.au

to Canberra branding supremo Jamie Wilson and his team at Coordinate. With a strong background in sport marketing Coordinate were the perfect fit for the unnamed team that would become CBR BRAVE.

and logistical point of view. Some of the people who have come forward, whether it be the volunteers, the sponsors and people that have offered their services and their time to get everything ready for game one has been great.”

“Given what Coordinate can do in terms of our skills and the fact that we have worked with the GWS Giant and Canberra Raiders we’ve got quite a lot of marketing experience with sports so I thought we could add value there.” Jamie explained to PLAY.

Another key to the team hopes for success this year is their work with Canberra training Guru Lee Campbell (B.Firm – www.bfirm.com.au) and Peter was quick to highlight Lee’s work with the team.

“It was an amazing opportunity. The Coordinate team threw all their efforts and energy behind it. We did a lot of research to look at ice hockey brands and sporting brands around the world. The name was one of the hardest things to crack. That was actually 4 of the guys sitting around name brainstorming – we had a list of probably 200 names and BRAVE stood out immediately given the story and where the team wanted to go, as well as the adversity they had faced. “CBR was used as the geographic descriptor. CBR is the way people are starting to refer to Canberra particularly on social media, so CBR connected in that sense and we felt that it gave us more of a departure from the Canberra Knights CBR BRAVE just connected really well.” Again time was of the essence “Time was pretty tight, I think we had 5 weeks to come up with a name, design the brand, develop a website, membership packages, uniforms and then obviously all the off-ice stuff with the team – it was quite a lot of work. The website and membership package was the biggest job, turning that around so quickly and with a lot of video content. “To sell the vision of what the team was going to be and to drive membership, the founding video was very important. What we really wanted to do was give an insight into what the team was going through in a training, leadership and culture point of view and that’s why we developed the behind the scenes footage.” Video’s can be seen at cbrbrave.com.au Apart from the marketing side Jamie is also involved on the business side of the team along with Peter organizing the dayto-day running of the team. On-the-ice On-the-ice the team was coming together nicely with some old faces returning under new management and the www.playcanberra.com.au

“Lee has done a lot of work with the guys on teamwork, team building and leadership. The difference from when the group came together to after all their work on culture and team is amazing. “We had a 5 week preseason and they have fit a lot into it. These guys have been training 4-5 days a week since the team has come together and we have been getting 20+ people to each of these sessions. “

“we are doing this for us, for the guys in this room and for everyone of these fans that come out” increased player involvement leading to a greater feeling of ownership over the team. As Brad explained: “Now we are playing for us. We are not playing for the rink, we are not playing for an owner, we’re playing for each other. We had a meeting straight away and said – who’s in? We are doing this for us, for the guys in this room and for every one of the fans that come out. It’s been fantastic, there were a few things that happened in the past with different players and previous ownership and that between them. But now that’s no longer the situation. We are here because we love hockey. “Dave’s back playing and loving it, and Matt Lehoczky is back and he’s been gone for ten years and Aaron Clayworth – these guys weren’t coming back, no way - and they are 3 of the top guys, local Australian talent that we have had for 15 years and now they are back providing a leadership role, teaching the young guys, not only what to do on the ice, but also what to do off the ice. How to act and be respectful.”

“Lee is a killer and he shows no mercy, but he is fantastic.” Brad said with a laugh. “That 5 weeks preseason is the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life - without question. The whole team had to do it and they did. Last year that wouldn’t have happened, this year you are accountable to the guy next to you and if I’m going to do it at my age and you’re 20 years younger than me, you better be doing it!!” Another veteran, Dave Lewis was also pleased with the new attitude among the squad: “It’s been challenging, different to what we have done in the past so it ties in well with the new team, doing things differently and I think it will pay dividends. Everyone is ready to give it their best shot and looking forward to it.” Brad is just keen to get back on the ice “With no internal and external issues this year is about us and the fans that sit out there. That’s really all that matters. The board has been fantastic, I could not say enough good things about Peter. He didn’t need to do any of this, he’s Rummo’s cousin and found out and asked what he could do to help. Well he’s done what he could to help and it’s amazing.”

Support

“The motivation is most definitely there. It’s stronger than ever this year. Just looking forward to get on with it with the boys.”

“The community support has been fantastic - from a financial, emotional

For game day and times head to: CBRBRAVE.COM.AU PLAY CANBERRA MAY 2014

The State of Play - Aussie Rules.

THREE BIG QUESTIONS AFTER the opening rounds Todd Davey - @ToddJDavey

he burning issues after the opening rounds of the 2014 season

Often in the AFL the early rounds are not reflective of what the entire season will hold, however, 2014 has shown thus far there are key questions that have surfaced that will no doubt shape the season to come. Whilst it is easy to go too early with predictions and summations, here are three topics of conjecture after almost a month of football. HAVE THE SUNS ARRIVED? The answer is a tentative yes. The Gold Coasters are 2-1 after the opening three rounds and after easily accounting for the Brisbane Lions at home – their first victory over their Queensland counterparts in seven attempts – the travel to Metricon Stadium suddenly becomes less of a holiday and more of a nightmare for prospective opponents. The Suns have home games against Hawthorn, Sydney, Collingwood and Geelong to come, so the true test of just how formidable their sunbathed fortress is still to come, but anything short of a finals berth for Gary Ablett jnr’s men will be deemed a failure in the eyes of many. WHERE TO FOR CARLTON AND ADELAIDE? It is clear after their disastrous round three capitulation to the Bombers that Carlton sorely lack the talent required make a lasting impact on season 2014. The Blues head into their do-or-die round four clash with Melbourne in the precarious position of 0-3, with a win being the only option for an under siege Malthouse and Carlton outfit. However, given the quality of the football the Blues are producing right now, it is not unfathomable to think the Demons could

010 PLAY CANBERRA MAY 2014

be the team to break through for their first win of the season.

given their form, and their opponent’s resurgence, victory is hardly assured.

Another team that is in a similar predicament is the Adelaide Crows, a team many fancied to cast off the disappointments of a failed 2013 campaign and challenge for the top 8 and possibly even the top 4.

IS NICK RIEWOLDT IN CAREER BEST FORM?

At the moment finals football seems a million miles away. Full Forward Taylor Walker is unable to shake his injury problems; star midfielder Patrick Dangerfield has been uncharacteristically subdued throughout the opening rounds and the Crows’ normally reliable backline has conceded no less than 18 goals a game across the opening three rounds. Compounded by the fact that the Crows have been overrun in final quarters – scoring just 4 combined goals to their opponents’ 20; the magnitude of the task at hand becomes even more daunting. The Crows tackle the Saints at Etihad Stadium round four – a game they must have penciled in prior to the commencement of the season, but

The answer is an unequivocal yes. Despite not experiencing the team success that Riewoldt enjoyed throughout St Kilda’s premiership tilts in 2009-10, the Saints’ captain has put up remarkable numbers for a man that is meant to be in the twilight of his career. Last year and thus far this season, Riewoldt has upped his average disposals and marks per match, all while having substandard delivery to what the champ was used to in St Kilda’s golden years. In two of the three games this season, Nick has carried the team on his back, almost singlehandedly securing victories over Melbourne and GWS, whilst gallantly fighting it out to the end against a whitehot West Coast Eagles. Riewoldt is not only one of the greatest Saints of all-time, but after his late career resurgence, he must now be considered one of the best centre half forwards in history. www.playcanberra.com.au

NEAFL

2014 Captains By Holly Rourke

he NEAFL season has officially kicked off, and along with many changes within the four Canberra based sides, two new captains are also finding their feet.

where he has worked his way up to the top. Ainslie Coach Chris Rourke said it was a clear next step for the talented Tuohey “He has always been a huge part in the development and the leadership of the team, and this year the opportunity to be captain presented itself and the team felt that Tuohey was the best fit for it” Rourke said

Whilst Queanbeyan and Belconnen have retained their long running captains Ryan Quade and Lexi Bennett, Ainslie and Eastlake have come back into the competition with new leaders in Rob Tuohey and John Van Meurs.

Tuohey, who is also an assistant coach with the club, believes both his new roles will benefit each other

Queanbeyan General Manger Ron Fowlie says that he is more than happy to have Ryan Quade as captain for a fifth consecutive year.

“I think that the two will correlate well. It gives me the opportunity to see both sides and I think that I will be able to gain a lot of insight on and off the field” said Tuohey

Quade has been a huge part of the Queanbeyan Football club for years, joining the club straight after school. He has now played 191 senior games for them, and won best and fairest in 2011. As well as being a long running captain, Quade was also Vice Captain for three years prior to that, meaning he has had a senior role in the team for almost eight years. Other football achievements for Quade include the sixteen games he played as a supplementary player for the Sydney Swans, becoming an ACT representative player in 2006,2007 and 2008, being a NSW representative in 2010, and also being named the team’s most consistent player on two separate occasions. Fowlie also stated that there was never any doubt that Quade would not return as captain this year and that he has been a great attribute to the club. Lexi Bennett is another long running captain in the NEAFL competition, having led the Belconnen Magpies since 2006. After a year in Western Australia, Bennett returned to the team where he played his junior football and became captain once again. Belconnen’s Senior Football Coordinator, Stephen Coate said there was never any doubt in his mind that www.playcanberra.com.au

Eastlake Football club has also been a team under construction this year, with one of their biggest changes being the introduction of a new captain to the side Bennett wouldn’t captain again this year. Although Belconnen didn’t have a formal vote, the team all decided that Bennett was still the man for the job. Bennett, who has now played 178 games for the club, other football achievements include club best and fairest in 2011 and also the clubs courageous award. After two years of being captain of Ainslie, Ian Lawless has decided to step down and give longtime teammate Rob Tuohey a chance to lead the team. Tuohey, who has now been with the Ainslie Football club for seven years, has more than enough experience to take on the senior role. After coming from small town country football club Rochester, Tuohey came to Ainslie

Eastlake Football club has also been a team under construction this year, with one of their biggest changes being the introduction of a new captain to the side. John Van Meurs has been playing with Eastlake since 2008, and Eastlake’s Football Manager Stephen Soulsby said that it was time for a change within the team, and Van Meurs was the right fit for it. Van Meurs has been a part of the clubs leadership group for years now, and with the previous Captain stepping down for personal reasons, the team decided that Van Meurs was a step in the right direction. Since finishing school, Van Meurs’ football career has consisted of only playing for Eastlake, so he knows the club inside out. His achievements within the club include winning the best and fairest in 2010 and also in 2013. He has now played 95 senior games for the club, and by taking on this new role, the club feels confident that he has many more years in him. No matter what jumper they are wearing, we hope one of our Canberra NEAFL captains is holding up the Premiership Cup at seasons end. PLAY CANBERRA MAY 2014 011

The State of Play - Rugby League.

Emotions run high after tragic injury Ryan O’Connell - @RyanOak

early a month after the incident, emotions are still running high over the tackle that left Newcastle Knights forward Alex McKinnon lying in a hospital bed with a serious spinal injury. The fall-out from the incident was widespread and dominated the headlines. Firstly, the Melbourne Storm’s Jordan McLean was suspended for seven weeks for his role in the tackle. This immediately caused an outcry as many pundits leapt to McLean’s defense, claiming the tackle was simply an accident. Conversely, many were dumbfounded and angry, believing the suspension was far too light, considering the physical damage that occurred.

The Newcastle Knights released a statement in which they detailed their dismay that McLean only received a sevenweek suspension, that the other two Storm defenders involved in the tackle – brothers Jesse and Kenny Bromwich – weren’t also suspended, and that the Storm defended McLean by suggesting McKinnon played a role in his injury. There were also loud and persistent calls for the NRL to take action by banning all lifting in tackles, along with three defenders in tackles. And above all and most importantly, there was Alex McKinnon, whom, regardless of what suspensions are handed out, what rules are changed, and what public and media storm there is, still faces a challenging future in overcoming the serious injuries to spinal cord, with talk he may struggle to ever walk again. With such an emotion-charged topic, it can be hard to keep a level head and

012 PLAY CANBERRA MAY 2014

judge things from a rational point-ofview. However, from my perspective almost all parties have raised extremely valid points on what is an unquestionably a complex issue. In terms of the tackle itself, my initial response to witnessing it was that it was an accident. Though many people quite rightly pointed out that if McLean doesn’t lift McKinnon’s legs, there is no accident. My reaction to the length of the suspension was disbelief. Quite frankly, I couldn’t believe that McLean had copped such a heavy suspension for something that appeared to be simply tragic misfortune.

If the NRL judiciary wants to deter dangerous tackles, it needs to act upon the action, and not the outcome, of dangerous tackles. There appeared to be no intent from McLean in the tackle, and the three other people involved – the Bromwich brothers and McKinnon himself – all played a role in what occurred. The seven-week suspension made no sense to me, and reeked of an illconceived compromise. I mentioned at the time that it seemed to be a case of the NRL judiciary being ‘half pregnant’. Had McLean been suspended for one week, the NRL would have sent a clear message to the Storm forward, and everyone else, that they acknowledge that the tackle - and subsequent injury was accidental. Had McLean been handed a harsh oneyear suspension, it would have sent a

clear message that all players have a duty of care on the field, and any action that results in serious injury has serious repercussions. Though I don’t agree with the latter sentiment whatsoever, I could at least understand the rationale. Yet what we’re left with is case of no one being happy. Those seeking justice for McKinnon do not feel vindicated with McLean spending just seven weeks on the sidelines. While those supporting McLean don’t believe that the punishment fits the offence. If indeed they even believe an offence was committed. Questions also remain on the objective of handing down the seven-week suspension, and whether it will act as a deterrent for other players. Judging by the rounds of football that have been played since the incident, it would appear not, as several tackles of an even worse nature have been executed. And in the majority of cases, no punishment – not even a penalty – were handed out, because the attacking player simply got up and played the ball, uninjured. If the NRL judiciary wants to deter dangerous tackles, it needs to act upon the action, and not the outcome, of dangerous tackles. Letting players go unpunished because no one was hurt will simply not change behaviour. Yet whatever your views or opinions on this subject, the one thing we can all agree on is that there are no winners from this heartbreaking incident, and we wish the two young men - whose lives have been changed forever - all the very best for the future, especially Alex McKinnon. www.playcanberra.com.au

North Woden Open

record number of players participated in the North Woden Junior Open, part of the ACT Medibank Junior Development series. Ninety players signed up for the round-robin competition, which is designed to give first-time players valuable match play experience. The tournament, run by Rising Stars Tennis Academy since 2011, has increased in numbers each year, with 20 boys competing in the 11/U singles event last month, and 25 in the 13/U boys’ singles event. Tournament director Frank Calabria said the tournament at North Woden Tennis Club was played in good spirits and had a relaxed, social atmosphere. “It was a great tournament and a large number of entries,” he said. “Play finished late on Saturday night, but

“It was a great tournament and a large number of entries,” he said. “Play finished late on Saturday night, but the players backed up well on Sunday.” - Frank Calabria Tournament Director the players backed up well on Sunday.” It was a successful tournament for Red Hill’s Bisa brothers, Nick and Sam, who both won their singles events. Nick defeated Anton Boonaragorn 5-2 to win the 11/U boys’ title while Sam took out the 13/U boys’ singles event when he beat James Lloyd 5-2.

The tournament is used as part of the selection process for the ACT Pizzey Cup team to compete in the 18-under School Tennis Championships in Perth (3-11 May). Alex De Jong will spearhead the boy’s team in Perth after winning his event, along with Jake Okines, Yuki Okamoto, Chris Bradley, Petar Zeljkovic and Nathan Lyneham. In the Open Boys’ A division final, De Jong, from Canberra Grammar School, beat Campbell High’s Zac Donaldson, 6-3. Hayden Okines (Lyneham High School) took out the 14/U title when he defeated Rory Dwyer (Daramalan College) 6-4, while Vineet Yarlagadda

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Koundouris, from Forrest, defeated Amelia Nicoll 6-2 in the singles decider, before combining with Sofia Burt to beat Nicholl and Callison Row 5-4, 5-1 in the doubles final. Olivia Burt took out the 13/U girls’ singles title, beating Katlin Bruce, while Christopher Bradley won the combined 15-17/U boys’ singles event and the 15/U doubles title with Liam Ellis. Tara Dabrovski defeated Anneliese Brenner 5-1 in the 15/U girls’ singles, while Sophie Goldrick-Ingrid Stroud beat Dabrovski-Alexandra Mackay in three sets in the 15/U doubles. Other doubles winners included Jules Paulin-Elgar/Lachlan Strickland (11/U boys) and Matteo Nicolaj/Martin Ting (13/U boys). Upcoming events and entries to ACT MJDS events are available at www.tennis.com.au/act/

Chloe Koundouris also had a

2014 Pizzey cup ore than 200 players from 21 schools competed in the 2014 Secondary Schools Tennis singles tournament at the National Sports Club last month.

successful weekend, winning the 11/U girls singles and doubles titles without losing a match.

“It will be a tough event but the kids will get plenty of matches against some of the best 18 and under players in Australia, both in the teams and individual events,” - Anthony Okines. (Lyneham High School) beat Matt Bell (Canberra High School) 6-1 to win the Open Boys’ B division title. The 14/U boys’ title went to Marius Van Rensberg (Canberra Grammar), a 7-5 victor over Owen Levings (St Mary Mackillop College). Canberra Girls Grammar School’s Tallulah Farrow recovered from a 4-2 deficit to defeat Alfred Deakin’s Leah Williamson 6-4 to cement her place in the girls’ Pizzey Cup team. Grammar’s Tara Dabrowski also won,

beating Zoe Tregeagle (Telopea Park School) 8-6 in the 14/U event. In Division B, Anneliese Brenner (Alfred Deakin High School) defeated Grace Bowyer (St Mary Mackillop College) 6-1 to win the Open girls’ title, while Holly Nolan (St Mary Mackillop College) beat Deanne Milward (Kingsford Smith School) 8-7 in the 14/U girls’ event. In the girls’ Pizzey Cup team, to be coached by Diana Lawrence, Farrow will be joined by Amy Heiden, Millie Scutt, Jacinta Pang, Stephanie Pang, Leah Williamson and Violet Marriot. Tennis ACT’s Community Tennis Manager Anthony Okines, also the boy’s coach-manager, said the Pizzey Cup was an opportunity for Canberra players to compete against quality opponents from around Australia. “It will be a tough event but the kids will get plenty of matches against some of the best 18 and under players in Australia, both in the teams and individual events,” Okines said.

PLAY CANBERRA MAY 2014 013

The State of Play - Football.

The EPL title run-in Antony Perry - @antonyperry

he 2013-14 English Premier League season has been one of the most open in recent memory and there’s every indication that the entertaining and unpredictable football it has so far served up will continue in its final month. Here, PLAY’s Antony Perry takes a look at which teams are vying for league glory and those who remain in the hunt for a spot in the Champions League. THE TITLE CONTENDERS / THE TOP 3 This season’s title run-in could not be any tighter, with three clubs still very much in the hunt for the league title as the campaign enters its final month. Unsurprisingly, Chelsea and Manchester City are firmly in the mix, but, to the surprise of many, it is Liverpool who is the third side staking a claim to be crowned kings of the Premier League. It would have been outrageous at the start of the season to suggest that the Merseyside club was in with a shot at claiming its first league title since 1990. But Liverpool have glittered like precious metal all season long, rarely falling out of the top four and playing some of the most fluent and attractive football in England. Much of its success has come from the brilliance of Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge, who, at the time of writing, have piled on 49 of their side’s 90 goals. But some of the credit ought to be thrown in the direction of Brendan Rodgers, the Liverpool manager, too. Rodgers has managed to turn an underperforming side into one with genuine title credentials during his short tenure at the club. But if the manager is to win a Premier League title in just his second season on Merseyside, his side will need to overcome the might of both Chelsea and City. The latter, of course, remains the favourite

014 PLAY CANBERRA MAY 2014

Image: Getty images

to collect the silverware and return to the summit of English football. Manuel Pellegrini’s side has matches in hand right up until the final week of the campaign as well as a healthy goal difference, which puts City firmly in the box seat. Should the Citizens slip up though, Chelsea, like Liverpool, is in a position to pounce and could have very well been more in control of its destiny had Jose Mourinho, the manager, not failed in his attempts to sign a competent striker in the summer. THE BATTLE FOR FOURTH Like the battle for top spot, the skirmish for the fourth and final Champions League place is still well and truly alive and is being fought out between Arsenal and Everton. Arsenal, having led the league for so long this season, finds itself at risk of missing out on European football all together next season. And while their slide down the league table has been quite astonishing in recent weeks, it has been somewhat predictable. Wenger’s men are known for their nerves during periods of adversity and that has been no different this season. As a result,

Arsenal faces tough competition from Everton in the race for fourth and what a battle it is shaping up to be, with Roberto Martinez’s side in red-hot form coming into the final month of the campaign. Martinez has continued to build on the solid foundations David Moyes put in place during his long stay at the club and his charges have rewarded the Spaniard for his hard work with some excellent football. The Merseysiders face a difficult run home though, with several daunting fixtures making their chances of playing in the Champions League next season more remote than Arsenal’s. But with Everton having defied the odds on numerous occasions this season, anything remains possible, particularly with an injury-ravaged Arsenal side looking as frail as ever. Expect the battle for fourth to go down to the wire. THE PREDICTION 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Manchester City Liverpool Chelsea Arsenal Everton www.playcanberra.com.au

The Greatest Sport You’ve Never Played

nderwater rugby has officially hit the ACT region, with an open team having started training at the Civic 5m dive swimming pool.

“The name ‘rugby’ is only used because there is physical contact in the contest, and a ball has to be moved from one side of the playing area to the other in order to score.”

And while the sport is largely unknown, the most interesting feature is without a doubt its three dimensional play.

Chen came to Canberra from Sydney last year to work in the public service, and brought his underwater rugby with him.

The Canberra set-up has grown rapidly in interest since August last year, with approximately 50 individuals having participated at training and games at the AIS.

He established the first Canberra squad after being a apart of one in Sydney. At the moment teams exist in Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra and Hobart.

Coach and coordinator Bobby Chen said the sport was fantastic for fun and fitness given how unique it is.

The Canberra and Sydney teams last year played against each other, Chen said it is hoped these teams can eventually form a competition.

“What attracts people most to our sport is how different and how fun it is,” he said. “People can have fun playing a ball sport at the same time as swimming, but it is so unique in that it is one of very few sports that is three dimensional.” The three-way aspect of the sport works in that players can travel up and down, as well as forwards and backwards.

This is possible as games are played underwater, with no restrictions on how deep or shallow players can be. And it is this incredible uniqueness of the sport that would make one question why it is not as popular as what it perhaps could be.

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“The sport actually has hardly any resemblance to rugby union or league,” said Chen.

“There really isn’t any frequent competition at the moment but with teams in Brisbane, Sydney, Hobart and now Canberra, we would love to have a state based competition,” he said. For more information head to the Canberra Underwater Rugby Facebook page.

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016 PLAY CANBERRA MAY 2014

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PLAY CANBERRA MAY 2014 017

John I Dent

Royals’ time is now By Antony Perry. @antonyperry

fter a breakout season in 2013, Canberra Royals have what it takes to climb to the summit of the John I Dent Cup this year. Occasionally in rugby there are seasons that announce the arrival of a genuine contender capable of changing the guard in a particular competition, and often the club in point has used its time out of the limelight to prepare for the period it is about to spend in it. Canberra Royals, a side that has struggled both on and off the pitch in recent years, certainly lived up to that particular bill in 2013. And now in 2014, last year’s John I Dent Cup runner up is poised to share the limelight with its bitter rival Tuggeranong Vikings. But in order to appreciate the way in which Royals has arrived in the upper echelons of Canberra’s premier rugby competition, it’s important to look back and reflect on the journey the club has taken to get there. Royals were a club teetering on the brink of insolvency not so long ago and poor offfield decisions were, inevitably, negatively impacting on the club’s performances on it. The Woden-based team, traditionally a mainstay of the Canberra competition and boasting more titles than any premier division club, has not won a top-flight title since 1991 and did not look like clinching another any time soon, though that all changed last season. 2013 was a year during which Royals emerged from a prolonged period in the wilderness to announce itself once more as a force in the premier division. Coach Russell Ingram guided his side through an impressive regular season campaign en route to an appearance in last season’s John I Dent Cup final – and it played some champagne rugby along the way. Those on hand to witness the club’s stirring 33-30 preliminary final triumph over Queanbeyan were treated to what was probably the match of the season – a match as good as any other in recent

018 PLAY CANBERRA MAY 2014

years. Ingram’s men were unable to halt Tuggeranong’s charge to a third straight title the following week, though, and eventually went down 21-28 in a pulsating grand final. Royals departed Viking Park trophyless that afternoon, but Ingram and his side, having pushed Tuggeranong for 80 minutes before finally succumbing to defeat, left with the respect of their great rival and the admiration of many others. Under the leadership of Ingram, Royals has been working, building and improving, slowly moving forward for some time now. The club’s success last season was the culmination of the hard work and the dedication of the playing squad and the coaching staff, all of whom are determined to return Royals to the heights it once occupied. It is because of that success Royals will have enjoyed a summer of optimism. But that sense of sanguinity must now give way to a season of responsibility, expectation and belief that the team can go one step further in 2014. And Ingram has at his disposal a squad capable of ending the club’s 22-year wait

for another title, which makes the thought of Royals knocking Tuggeranong off its perch a wholly credible prospect. The likes of fullback Ben Johnson, winger Seth Going and lock Tom Staniforth were rewarded for their strong showing in last year’s John I Dent Cup with invitations to train with the ACT Brumbies during the Super Rugby club’s pre-season earlier this year. Royals, despite the financial disadvantage they are at compared to Tuggeranong, boast players of the same calibre as their great rival, players capable of matching it with those they oppose. Royals last season displayed the priceless ability to remain calm in the midst of much hysteria and see out games in a calm and cool fashion, a hallmark that is often associated with title-winning teams and one that very nearly saw the club march to its first title in more than two decades. And while Ingram’s side fell agonisingly short of being crowned champions last year, it will be the masters of its own destiny in 2014 provided it continues to play and operate in the same fashion which saw it gain many admirers during the club’s breakout season in 2013. www.playcanberra.com.au

ACTEWAGL APRIL/MAY EVENTS CALENDAR Week 1: 14-20 APRIL

Week 3: 28-4 APRIL/MAY

Tuesday 15th

NPL

Tuggeranong United V Canberra City 8.00pm Hawker

Saturday 19th

NEAFL

QBN Tigers V Belconnen 2.00pm Dairy Farmers Park

NRL

Raiders V Storm 3.00pm GIO Stadium

Sunday 20th

Saturday 3th

Week 2: 21-27 APRIL Thursday 24th

Saturday 26th

CRC

Goulburn V QBN Blues 8.00pm Worker Arena QBN Roos V Woden Valley Rams 9.00pm Freebody Oval West Belconnen V Belconnen United 9.00pm Raiders

NEAFL

Eastlake V Southport 11.30am Football Park QBN Tigers V Aspley 12.00pm Dairy Farmers Park

JID

Gungahlin V Wests 3.05pm Nicholls Oval QBN Whites V Vikings 3.05pm Campese Oval Uni-Norths V Royals 3.05pm ANU North

CRC

Tuggeranong V Gungahlin Bulls 3.00pm Greenway

AIHL

CBR Brave V Sydney Ice Dogs 5.30pm Phillip Rink

WPL

Belconnen United V Canberra FC 12.00pm Kaleen ANU V Weston Molonglo 2.00pm ANU ACTAS V Tuggeranong United 2.00pm Kaleen Monaro V Canberra Olympic 2.00pm Riverside

Sunday 27th NPL

Canberra FC V Tuggeranong United 3.00pm Deakin Canberra City V Woden Valley 3.00pm Gungahlin Belconnen United V FFA 3.00pm McKellar Canberra Olympic V Monaro 3pm O’Connor

VE CBR BRA V Adrenaline 10/05/14 5.30pm Ice Phillip Rink kating S

Sunday 4th

WPL

Canberra FC V ACTAS 7.00pm Deakin

NEAFL

UWS Giants V Ainslie 10.10am StarTrack Oval

NPL

Tuggeranong United V Canberra Olympic 3.00pm Kambah

JID

QBN Whites V Uni-Norths 3.05pm Campese Field Royals V Vikings 3.05pm Phillip Oval Wests V Easts 3.05pm Jamson Oval

BBALL

Caps Academy V Dandenong 5.30pm Belconnen Stadium Gunners V Dandenong 7.30pm Belconnen Stadium

NEAFL

Belconnen V Sydney Uni 12.00pm Kippax Oval Eastlake V QBN Tigers 2.00pm Star Track Oval

WPL

ANU V Canberra Olympic 2.00pm ANU Tuggeranong United V Monaro 2.00pm Kambah Belconnen United V Weston Molonglo 2.00pm McKellar

NPL

Canberra FC V Woden Valley 2.00pm Deakin Monaro V Cooma 2.00pm Riverside FFA V Canberra City 3.00pm AIS

Week 4: 5-11 MAY

Saturday 10th

NEAFL

Eastlake V Sydney Hills 12.00pm Star Track Oval Belconnen V Ainslie 2.00pm Kippax Oval

JID

Vikings V Gungahlin 3.05pm Viking Park Easts V QBN Whites 3.05pm Griffith Oval Wests V Uni-Norths 3.05pm Jamison Oval

AIHL

CBR Brave V Adrenaline 5.30pm Phillip Rink

Super

Brumbies V Sharks 7.40pm GIO Stadium

WPL

ACTAS V Weston Molonglo 2.00pm Kaleen Belconnen United V ANU 2.00pm McKellar Canberra Olympic V Tuggeranong United 2.00pm O’connor Monaro Panthers V Canberra FC 2.00pm Riverside

NPL

Canberra FC V FFA 3.00pm Deakin Stadium Canberra City V Belconnen United 3.00pm Gungahlin Cooma V Tugeranong United 3.00pm Nijong Oval Canberra Olympic V Woden Valley O’Connor

Sunday 11th

All details correct at time of printing CRC: Canberra Raiders Cup / JID: Jhon I Dent / NPL: National Premier League WPL: Womens Premier League / AIHL: Australian Ice Hockey League

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Football

National Premier League Russ Gibbs

he 2014 National Premier Leagues: Capital Football season promises to be full of intrigue and surprise with all of the competing teams shaping up to challenge for a place in the top four and the end of season finals. Early indications are that last year’s League Champions Canberra FC and Grand Final winners Canberra Olympic are looking strong to make a decent fist of defending their trophies. Perennial challengers Belconnen United appears to have recruited well in the off-season and will enter the competition confident that they can go better than last year’s runners-up position. If those three are the favourites to occupy the top spots then Cooma Tigers, who disappointed in 2013, will be eager to refind the form that saw them win the Grand Final in 2012. But it’s anyone’s guess really as to the final make-up of the top four. Canberra City and Woden Valley will fancy their chances of making the finals, with Woden looking to build on their maiden appearance last season. Tuggeranong United, who ended the 2013 season rock bottom, has been busy re-building their squad under the stewardship of new Head Coach Steve Forshaw. Having won the Federation Cup in 2013, Tuggeranong have proved on their day that they can be a match for anyone. Waiting to throw a spanner in the works will be the newly rebranded FFA COE (formerly the AIS). The Institute welcomes a new batch of recruits for the National Premier Leagues campaign and they are sure to provide formidable opponents. As last term the AIS (now FFA COE) are not eligible for finals, but they are likely to have a big say on who actually does. Settle back and enjoy the next five months of action as we build towards the biggest finals series ever.

Coach the team for a season in the Foxtel National Youth League. Last year’s squad has since been dismantled following the completion of their two-year stint at the Institute and a new batch of young hopefuls will take to the fields of Canberra hoping this will be the commencement of a long, productive and illustrious football career. As the 2013 vintage found out however, the NPL is no-place for the faint hearted and the youngsters can expect a baptism of fire and a steep learning curve as they are pushed straight into action having only arrived at the AIS in early March. The FFA Centre of Excellence are likely to cause one or two teams a headache throughout the season. Their progress will be interesting to watch as the stars of tomorrow start their careers.

FFA CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE

CANBERRA CITY

CANBERRA OLYMPIC

The newly renamed FFA Centre of Excellence (formerly the AIS and now known as the FFA COE)) will embark on their second season of National Premier Leagues football in 2014 after a debut campaign that did exactly what Head

A new venue should precipitate the start of a new era at Canberra City as Nick Palagyi’s team settle into their new surroundings at Gungahlin Enclosed Oval. And with a new season comes fresh optimism for a team that under-achieved

Grand Final winners Canberra Olympic are another side who have changed coaches in the off-season as the victorious Leo Exarhos takes time off for personal reasons and is replaced by Frank Cachia. Cachia has a wealth of local football knowledge and

020 PLAY CANBERRA MAY 2014

BELCONNEN UNITED There’s a fresh feel to Belconnen United for the 2014 National Premier Leagues season as new Head Coach Dean Ugrinic looks to develop his own brand of football at McKellar Park and take the Blue Devils one step further than their runners-up spot last season. Ugrinic’s teams are well known for their ability to play football and with a roster packed full of talent there is reason for Belconnen supporters to be confident that this could be their year. With the retirement of experienced Blue Devils stalwarts Elliot Zwangobani and Matt Valeri, much would appear to depend on how the ‘old heads’ of David Arranz and top scorer and club talisman Dustin Wells, manage to guide their youthful team mates. However, when you look closer all the youngsters at Ugrinic’s disposal, all are veterans of first-grade football and have the miles in the bank to set the pace in 2014.

for the most part in 2013. City entered the season as an outside chance of making the top four with a roster that included several experienced Premier League players. However, they would be the first to admit that their campaign failed to hit the heights and only a late season flourish saw them climb away from the foot of the table to end seventh. So what’s changed this time around? Well for a start Palagyi has a season of first grade coaching under his belt and will be well acquainted with his charges. And there has been few movements of note away from City. Goals were at a premium for the club last term so the return of Misko Naumoski from Belconnen United will be a boost in that department. Expect City to be far better organized and structured than last term and ready to push on to compete for a place in the finals. CANBERRA FC As ever, League Champions Canberra FC enter the National Premier Leagues season with only one goal in mind – to defend their League Championship crown and regain the Grand Final trophy that eluded them at the last hurdle in September. There’s a change at the top with title winning coach Miro Trninic gone and replaced by former Canberra United Westfield W-League and ACTAS coach Ray Junna. Junna, a former Canberra Deakin player back in the day, brings a technical maturity to the squad and should thrive under the pressure that inevitably comes with holding the top job at a club expected not just to challenge for honours, but to pick them up on a regular basis. Having a settled squad will no doubt help and that is what Junna has inherited. Once again Canberra FC pose a formidable threat.

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COOMA TIGERS 2013 was a disappointing year for Cooma Tigers with a fifth place finish, ten points outside of the top four, indicating something of a hangover from their remarkable 2012 Grand Final success. But with a settled squad and an injection of new youthful faces there’s a sense of optimism in the Cooma camp that they could be back to their mercurial best in 2014. As last season much will depend on their exciting strike duo of Stephen Domenici and ACT Player of the Year Robbie Cattanach. When this pair are on song the Tigers are tough to contain. The inclusion of the exciting prospect Julian Borgna, snapped up from League champions Canberra FC, adds extra

The

weight to an attack that also includes the experience of Goran Josifovski. Keep an eye out for Iain Elliott who was an influential member of the team that reached the Federation Cup Final last year. MONARO PANTHERS Monaro Panthers would appear to be a club in transition heading into the 2014 National Premier Leagues: Capital Football season with Technical Director Njegosh Popovich doubling as Head Coach having to come to terms with the loss of a number of players who performed admirably in the green and black of the Panthers last season. The club may have finished the inaugural NPL campaign in eighth place with six wins from their 23 matches played but they put in a number of memorable performances in that time and looked to have unearthed several potential Premier League stars of the future in what was a young roster dotted with a couple of older heads. Popovich’s team will cause plenty of problems for their NPL peers. TUGGERANONG UNITED Season 2013 was a roller-coaster for Tuggeranong United and their loyal band of followers. Marooned at the foot of the National Premier Leagues after a league campaign to forget, United confounded most experts by producing a memorable

Federation Cup run that culminated in a victory over Cooma Tigers in the showpiece Final at Deakin Stadium thus securing their place in the inaugural FFA Cup for 2014. Tuggeranong won’t want a repeat of their disappointing League campaign this time around and have moved fast in the off-season to make amends. The first signing, and perhaps most significant, was the recruitment of new coach Steve Forshaw. As ever the form of Matt Menser and the dependable Tim Stewart will go a large way to deciding where Tuggeranong finish in 2014. WODEN VALLEY There’s been plenty of change at Woden Valley for the 2014 National Premier Leagues season, not the least of which sees Mitch Stevens make the considerable step-up from player to Head Coach following Dean Ugrinic’s departure to Belconnen United. Stevens may be raw as a coach at this level, but he knows all about top flight football having played for both Woden and Canberra City in this company. Stevens set his marker down early, looking to lock in the majority of his 2014 squad prior to Christmas so he could concentrate on developing a style of play that would help Woden match last season’s accomplishment of making the top four and playing finals football for the first time.

Fear of Finding Out

WS NHC0075/B PL

he will have to draw on a lot of it to juggle a squad that looks, on paper at least, to be in with a good chance of repeating last season’s heroics. They may have lost some influential players, such as two-goal Grand Final scorer Robbie Schroder, Valeri Medal winner Hristjan Tanoski and defender Joel Valtonen, but they have also recruited well. In comes midfielder Tim Womack from Monaro Panthers, Adam Rogic from White Eagles and Nick Sallecchia, who returns to action after a stint overseas. Despite some off field changes, Olympic should very much be in the hunt come finals time.

affects men’s health every day

If you’re putting off seeking health advice, take the first step in facing your fear and call healthdirect Australia on 1800 022 222 to speak to a registered nurse 24/7. For more information visit www.healthdirect.gov.au

www.playcanberra.com.au NHC0075_URG_Men_Press_ACT_PLAY_220x125_v2_FA.indd

PLAY CANBERRA MAY21/02/14 20145:11021 PM

Body Science

Are you being lied to? By Alan Romero, Advanced Performance Coaching. www.advancedperformancecoaching.com.au

he most damaging health and fitness myths continuously perpetuated by the media and socalled ‘fitness experts’ The lie: If you begin resistance training too young it will stunt your growth. This is actually more common than almost any myth I can think of, but you don’t often hear about it because it is so rarely challenged. The theory is that if you start putting pressure on your body while it is still growing, it will react by prematurely closing the growth plates on the end of long bones, resulting in some kind of selfinflicted dwarfism. Another theory is that putting too much strain on the body during growth phases, when the ends of these bones are weaker than the ligaments that surround them, can cause fractures that will stunt growth. It is one of those statements that is spoken once and is forever ingrained into peoples “things that are true” database. The issue is that humans instantly, momentarily, accept everything they are told as truth if they don’t have the information to refute. Almost every boy wants to grow up to be tall, and this myth plays on that concept, the fear that you may be doing something to deprive yourself of a few precious centimetres is enough to scare off most people. “Wait until you finish growing first.” Mum said When will that be? Some say the growth plates close around sixteen years of age, some say eighteen, and some say twentyone. The real question is: What is it about resistance training that would cause someone to be end up shorter than their genetic blueprint had planned? Firstly a big factor in this myth is a lack of understanding of correlation and causation. For example a large percentage of elite level weightlifters and bodybuilders are relatively short in

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stature, but this does not mean that lifting weights makes you shorter any more than playing professional basketball makes you taller. These things are often found together for other reasons, in this case having advantageous leverages/body type to become successful in a certain sport. There are always people attaching meaning and authenticity to a statement because it kind-of makes sense… until you actually think about it. The Truth: Let’s start with some comparisons of forces and pressures in two different situations, a game of rugby and a weight training session. A rugby game, if properly executed is a dynamic, ballistic and unpredictable environment wherein participants are required to endure multiple high speed collisions in minimal (if any) supportive/ protective equipment (pads, helmet, suit of armour). These collisions are unrehearsed and can leave one or both of the athletes in an awkward position, under significant load. The kicker is we as a society have no problem putting our children into this environment from as young as 6 or 7 years old. When was the last time you heard of a 7 year old lifting weights? A weight training session, if properly executed, is a controlled and predictable

environment wherein participants are required to endure multiple repetitions of appropriately selected exercises. These exercises are properly rehearsed at comfortable loads until strength levels allow progression to larger loads. Don’t get me wrong, I love the game of Rugby, it’s a fast paced and entertaining battle of strength, speed, and skill, what’s not to love? But you can’t tell me that it’s safer than lifting weights. Yet we see Rugby players that grow to nearly 7 feet tall (2.13m), and the average sitting on or above 6 feet (1.82m) Injury studies conducted by Hamill 1994, Stone 1990 and Stone et al. 1993, puts rugby at number two behind soccer with 1.92 injuries per 100 hours, while weightlifting sits at 0.0012, or 1 injury per 85,733 hours. So when we examine the logic of the statement and the statistics that relate, we find that the idea of weight training stunting growth not only has no scientific support, but is actually hampering athletic performance and the potential for our athletes to be bigger, stronger, faster, more agile, have better body awareness, and become more injury resistant by incorporating well designed and executed resistance training programs from a young age. Until next time… www.playcanberra.com.au

ACT cricket wraps up a big month

hane Devoy and Ingrid Svilans were the major award winners at the Cricket ACT Awards dinner, held at the Woden Tradies’ Club earlier this month.

Devoy’s exceptional season for Tuggeranong, where he took 45 wickets and made 514 runs across the three formats saw him take out the DB Robin Medal as the best player in ACT Cricket for the 2013/2014 season. Devoy finished with 28 votes, six clear of Ginninderra batsman Sam Gaskin, with Queanbeyan’s Prime Minister’s XI representative, Michael Spaseski, third on 20.

Australian Track & Field Coaches Association (ATFCA, Canberra)

The centre of excellence in Coach education and development

North Canberra-Gungahlin allrounder Chris Chellew took out the Konica Minolta Twenty20 Player of the Year, while Weston Creek-Molonglo’s Ingrid Svilans won the SJ Moore Medal for the women’s grade competition, making 422 runs at the outstanding average of 70.33. Western Districts-University of Canberra were crowned Club Champions, a fitting end to the season in which they also won the 1st Grade Premiership, beating Queanbeyan on first innings at Manuka Oval. The three-day decider, played late last month, lost its first day completely to rain. Wests-UC still elected to bat first when the match commenced on Day 2, only to find themselves losing 5/13 on the way to being all out for 179 in 67 overs. Matt Condon (33), Ethan Bartlett (35), and Simon Cusden (31no) were the only scores of note, with Queanbeyan quick Josh Bennett the chief destroyer, taking 6/27 from 16 overs.

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It would prove to be more than enough, however, with Wests-UC rocking the Queanbeyan top order early and taking wickets regularly thereafter to dismiss them for 130. Vinesh Bennett was the only Bluebag to make more than 20, while Bartlett and Dale Riley took four wickets apiece. Wests-UC did bat again, and were all out for 123 in their second innings, but batted for long enough to ensure Queanbeyan couldn’t bat again. Adam Hewitt’s 67 would be the match high score, while four more wickets for Josh Bennett saw him finish with superb match figures of 10/56, and the Greg Irvine Medal as player of the Grand Final. Only the week before, the Sheffield Shield Final was played at Manuka Oval for the first time, with the SCG unavailable for hosts NSW, due to the Major League Baseball season opener. Needing only a draw to win the title, the result was rarely in doubt for the Blues after they made 447 in their first innings before dismissing Western Australia for 180. With the entire fourth day lost to rain, WA’s only chance of victory was to take seven wickets quickly and follow that with the mother of all run-chases. In the end, an unbeaten century from NSW Captain, Stephen Smith, ensured WA would not bat again, and the draw confirmed the Blues’ 46th Sheffield Shield title. www.playcanberra.com.au

Introduction to Coaching (ITC) – certificate course  May 25th & Aug 16th 2014 $75

Workshops – non ATFCA members $50  May 3rd - Programming  May 24th -Speed & Agility  June 7th - Performance Development  July 12th - Nutrition  Aug 2nd - Strength & Conditioning & more… 50% off workshops for ATFCA registered coaches

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School Holiday Camps 1,3 or 5 days from $50 per day  April – week 2 only  Sept/ Oct – week 1 & 2  Jan 2015 -12-16th, 19-23rd, 26-30th Clinics & weekly coaching sessions available

Learn to become the best you can be atfca_act@outlook.com PLAY CANBERRA MAY 2014 023

Rugby League

Graduates of League By Joshua Matic @MaticJm

he Canberra Raiders have formally announced a study partnership with the University of Canberra.

Stephen Parker said for him it was a “winwin” situation. “We have the highest number of elite athletes registered with us, and so we’re used to supporting athletes, we know their schedules, and the signing of this agreement [with the Raiders] is a fence in our mission [to engage with the community],” said Mr Parker.

The Graduates of League program would not be familiar to many fans of the NRL, but this year it has a record number of 75 enrolled NRL players and 145 NYC players. This year the Canberra Raiders have a record number of 16 players either starting or returning to the University of Canberra. Raiders veteran and vice captain David Shillington is entering his second year studying a Bachelor of Business. Shillington studied at the University of Queensland after completing year 12 in Brisbane, but was then signed by the Sydney Roosters. Time eluded him far too much to continue study in Sydney, but under the GOL program, he was able to start study at the University of Canberra. “I value a degree and I think it’s a really important thing to have in your career,” said Shillington. The GOL and more specifically the Raiders’ arrangement with the University of Canberra allows players to study in a much more flexible time frame that suits their full time rugby league commitments. Specialised staff at the University are also employed to coordinate the players in their studies, which at the moment includes degrees in business and administration, environmental sciences, education and sports management.

PNG CONNECTION A visit to Canberra from the Chairman of Papua New Guinea Rugby League, Sandis Tsaka, has sparked a potential relationship with the Canberra Raiders. Canberra Raiders CE0 Don Furner arranged for him to visit Raiders HQ whilst the NRL side was training. “This is my first tour of an NRL club’s facilities and it’s been very impressive,”

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He said having such a great involvement with elite athletes at the university not only helped in building its brand, but also promoted sport and health to the public as a whole. For Shillington, who has about two more years of part-time study remaining, being able to prepare himself for his post-footy life is a great thing personally.

“I think that does attract students who aren’t necessarily sporting players themselves, because they see it as a fresh, open, innovative university.”

“It will be nice to have a Bachelor’s degree, and hopefully when I finish that I’ll be able to go on and do a Masters,” said Shillington.

And Parker said this, including an involvement with the Raiders, would build better academic programs for students at the university, which in turn could see benefits fro Raiders players themselves.

“So I’m aiming high and I’m really grateful for how accommodating UC have been.” The University of Canberra is undoubtedly a leader of Australian universities in the sports discipline. It has sponsored and organised study programs with the ACT Brumbies and Canberra Capitals already, and in just weeks will open a state of the art sports centre for students to study and practice in their course fields, while also hosting the Brumbies new HQ and training centre. The University has 70 elite athletes studying there, and Vice Chancellor Tsaka said. “It’s not every day that you get the CEO of an NRL club to give you a guided tour as well as having the Head Coach, Ricky Stuart, making himself available. Given the fact that Raiders great Mal Meninga is the current PNG National Coach and Coaching Director of the High Performance program for Rugby League in PNG, along with the discussions held with Furner, Tsaka hopes to get a

“At the end of the day this [working with Raiders and other elite athletes] is about our students and our researchers being able to work with sports people, and our sports degrees are the fastest growing degrees that we’ve got,” said Mr Parker. “It creates demand for people out there wanting to study sport, so it all fits together as a great strategy.” The GOL program began in 2008 at the University of Wollongong, but in 2014 will see 16 universities across Australia and New Zealand participate. partnership going with the Raiders. “Rugby League is the national sport in PNG and we’d be happy to support the growth and development of the code there,” Furner said. “To host a few of their elite juniors in our development camps is something that we will definitely look into. our development systems are first class so to be able to develop some elite juniors from PNG will only be beneficial to both parties.” www.playcanberra.com.au

ActewAGL kick-starts junior AFL launch

FL Canberra launched its 2014 junior and youth girls’ competition in association with ActewAGL at Manuka Oval which will see almost 100 teams take the field this season. AFL Canberra’s Steve Mahar said “ActewAGL’s sponsorship is a generous contribution towards junior AFL in the Canberra region. We are investing in many resources to assist with game day environment for all of our junior venues. Creating a positive environment is a major focus for our code to ensure everyone has a great experience when playing, supporting, coaching or officiating a game of AFL. ActewAGL and AFL Canberra are both actively involved in our community and we look forward to this relationship continuing to allow the game of AFL to grow. I would like to thank ActewAGL for their investment into junior AFL.” ActewAGL has proudly re-signed with AFL Canberra and will be the naming rights sponsor for the junior and youth

girls’ competitions for the next three years. ActewAGL Director Marketing and Corporate Affairs Paul Walshe said “ActewAGL prides itself on being involved with our local community and supporting women’s and girls’ sport in our region. This new support will benefit both our junior male and female AFL players across Canberra. “I’ve played and been associated with AFL most of my life and it has provided me with some of my best

memories. Providing opportunities for our children to get out of the house and take up a sport like AFL can create many additional benefits. Playing sport like AFL teaches children respect, discipline, provides routine and can help tackle the ever increasing obesity problem. I’d like to thank the great team at AFL Canberra for helping bring this exciting partnership together.” AFL Canberra has some fantastic events for juniors this year with Giants players to visit junior matches on Sunday 13 April. Canberra will host the National Youth Girls Championships from 3 to 8 May. For more information about how your child can play junior AFL in Canberra this season, please visit: www.aflcanberra.com.au

New year New menu Contemporary creations, traditional favourites, home-grown herbs, locally sourced steaks, and of course, The Tradies Legendary Schnitzel, along with an exclusive selection of Canberra region cool-climate wines. Experience the new menu at Essence at The Dickson Tradies.

Open 7 Days Lunch from 12pm to 2pm Dinner from 5:30pm to 9pm The Dickson Tradies 2 Badham Street, Dickson ACT, 2602 02 6162 5656 thetradies.com.au facebook.com/thedicksontradies For the information of members

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PLAY CANBERRA MAY 2014 025

Rugby Union

Two months in, and the Brumbies are on track By Brett McKay - @BMcSport

he 2014 Super Rugby season is heading into its third month, and already the Brumbies look on track to repeat their 2013 finals series appearance. Heading into their first bye of the season over the Easter weekend, the Brumbies have featured heavily inside the competition top six, and have led the Australian conference.

rates between this season and last, the Brumbies are tracking at that same 9596% as they did in 2013. Lineout success is greatly improved on last season’s already good base, while the scrum success rate is on par relative to the rest of the competition, too. This just underlines the importance of a solid breakdown and setpiece game.

The new coaching regime, comprising Head Coach Stephen Larkham and Director of Rugby Laurie Fisher appears to be working well. Both remaining in charge of their respective backs and forwards departments, as was the case under former coach Jake White, and the collaborative approach is bringing the rewards on the field.

In that regard, the Brumbies are already tracking at 2.5 tries per game this season, compared to the 2.2 per game scored in the 2013 season that culminated in the courageous loss to the Chiefs in the Final.

The tackle success rate is slightly down on this year, but the spread across the competition remains on par with last year. That the Brumbies tackling effectiveness has dropped is interesting, and the only discernible difference between the two seasons is that where White himself oversaw defence during his time in Canberra, new assistant coach Dan McKellar is the defence coach this season. That’s not a suggestion that McKellar’s methods are at fault, but White always made the point that it’s amazing how attitudes change when the defence coach also picks the side each week.

Relative to the rest of the competition, the number of ball-carries and the metres made are on a similar level to last season. The Brumbies carry the ball among the most in the competition, but rank midtable in terms of the amount of ground those carries make, meaning they still don’t shy away from the ‘grunt work’, the pick-and-drive game that doesn’t look glamorous but does get the job done.

One other interesting measure is that where the Brumbies received six yellow cards for the entire 2013 season, they’ve already copped four in 2014 at the time of writing. As was the case last season, the majority of yellow cards this year have been from ruck infringements, and while the Brumbies maintain that they won’t back away from the contest, it remains something they need to be conscious of.

This season, the Brumbies rank in the bottom half of the competition for the number of defenders beaten, but very much in the top half for the number of clean breaks made. Last season, this was the complete opposite on both counts. In terms of per-game averages, the Brumbies of 2014 are beating fewer defenders, but are making more breaks, in line with scoring more tries per game this season, too.

It is worth noting, however, that the number of yellow cards given out this season has increased greatly across the competition, suggesting that referees are cracking down more in 2014.

Importantly, the Brumbies are still playing that hard-nosed, uncompromising breakdown game they perfected under White. Likewise the set piece; the lineout remains as strong and reliable as ever, and the scrum already looks to have improved, with the Brumbies’ pack forcing penalty tries in recent weeks, and getting the better of several highly-regarded scrums. Coaches may change, but the building bricks of successful teams remain the same: efficient set piece and an effective breakdown presence. Larkham promised a more attacking game from the Brumbies when he took on the Head Coach role, and that is already apparent. Where in previous years the Brumbies didn’t play a lot of rugby until they were well into the opposition 40m, they are in 2014 launch more attacking raids from further out. That’s not to say they’ve abandoned the kicking game that served them so well; of course they haven’t, and if anything, their tactical and territorial kicking is working so well it’s allowing them to dictate terms and launch attacking raids whenever the opportunity presents, rather than waiting

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until they’re in the prescribed area of the field.

Though there is a bigger spread over the competition in terms of ruck success

All-in-all, things are looking good for the Brumbies so far. The African tour is still a little way away yet, and that remains the difficult challenge it always has been. But after winning that remarkable semi-final in Pretoria last year, the Brumbies will feel they’re better equipped for any challenge this season. www.playcanberra.com.au

Lake Crackenback Resort & Spa 2014/2015 Calendar of Events

ake Crackenback Resort & Spa in the beautiful Snowy Mountains has just released its 2014/2015 Calendar of Events. Its jam packed full of great events to suit everyone.

The popular Trail Running Weekends will be hosted again by current North Face 100 champion Brendan Davies and World Orienteering Champion, Hanny Allston with 3 new dates locked in 21-23 November, 6-8 February & 17 – 19 April.

Introduced this year are the Landscape Photography Weekends hosted by acclaimed landscape photographer, Michael Scott Lees for those budding camera enthusiasts 24 – 26 October & 20-22 February along with a Yoga Weekend with Kris McIntyre from Yoga TV fame being held on 17 – 19 October . There are new Road and Mountain Biking supported weekends, along with an Introduction to Trout

Fishing Weekend with Steve Starling 7-9 November along with a Fly Fishing school hosted by Peter Morse & the Resort’s own Matt Tripet 3 – 5 October plus loads more. Spaces are limited for these events so please book early. If you are interested in any further information on the Events Calendar, please visit www.lakecrackenback.com.au

Want to become a personal trainer? Study the fast-tracked Certificate III and IV in Fitness at CIT! You can become a fully-qualified personal trainer in just 18 weeks! APPLY NOW and start in April.

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This winter there are 3 Celebrity Chef Dinners hosted at Cuisine Restaurant. Colin Fassnidge from My Kitchen Rules Fame will be at the Resort on Saturday 26th July, Justin North a guest chef on Masterchef Australia will be cooking with Cuisine Executive Chef Greg Pieper on Saturday 23rd August along with Ben Willis from Canberra hatted restaurant, Aubergine cooking up a storm on Saturday 20th September. All dinners are 4 courses with matching wines for $120.00 per person.

For more information attend the information session on Tuesday 8 April at CIT Bruce, Room B03b, 12-6pm, visit cit.edu.au/fitness or phone (02) 6207 3188

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PLAY CANBERRA MAY 2014 027

Football

Play Like the World Stars By Alfred Galustian. Co-founder Coerver Coaching

his year is a special year. World Cup Brazil, and for us in Coerver Coaching our 30th Anniversary.

In Coerver Coaching we have always used Star Models to coach young players. We have found that the great stars can teach us how to improve our game. In Coerver Coaching we analyse great players and teams, break down their skills, then devise ways of teaching players based on our analyse. For this series, I have selected my World Cup All-star Team, of course this is only my opinion, but I think we can all improve using these players as models for learning important topics in football. Each player has been given a shirt number, and I have selected a topic that I believe they excel in. Each topic I will suggest 3 Things that you can use to improve your game. Alfred Galustian All Star Team Goal Keeper Iker Casillas, (Spain/Real Madrid) Full-backs/wing-backs Dani Alves (Brazil/Barcelona) Philipp Lahm (Germany/Bayern Munich)

Iker Casillas Profile: Has captained both Real Madrid and the Spanish national team. World Cup Champion. STAR TOPIC: Suppleness & Flexibilty

Strikers Messi Argentina/Barcelona Suarez(Uruguay/Liverpool) Coach As Coach for this All Star Team I would suggest Vicente Del Bosquez, World Cup Champion with Brazil and Champions

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One: Stretching is an important part of improving your physical condition whilst at the same time preventing injury.

League winner with Real Madrid. I have been lucky enough to work with him; not only has he an incredible winning record but he also is passionate on how the game should be played; Technical excellence being his foundation.

Center-backs Mats Hummels (Germany/Borussia Dortmund) Laurent Koschelney (France/Arsenal) Mid Field Xavi (Spain/Barcelona) Arjen Robben (Netherlands/Bayern Munich) Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany/Bayern Munich) Oscar (Brazil/Chelsea)

THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

Vicente Del Bosquez and Alfred Galustian

Two: Stretching increases flexibility. Flexible muscles can improve your soccer performance. Three: Stretching improves range of motion of your joints. Good range of motion means better balance. Coerver Coaching is the world’s number one skills teaching method. For more information on Coerver Coaching go to www.coerver.com.au

COERVER Coaching Master Class Series.

Jason Lancsar COERVER® Coaching Asia Pacific Director

Jason Lancsar COERVER® Coaching Asia Pacific Director We hope you enjoy our Coerver Coaching Play Magazine homework designed to improve your game but above all have fun while practicing. Coerver Coaching has been a global leader in 1v1, this month we look at the Step On.

Topic: The Step On

• You should also practice this move using the opposite feet. • While hopping on one leg, step lightly with your sole on top of the ball to stop it. • Your momentum should take you past the ball with both feet landing beyond it. Now turn and take the ball. • You should use this move along the wings and when your opponent is to the side of you.

Step 1:

Step 2:

Step 3:

Step 4:

Step 5:

As you run down the wing with your opponent chasing after you.

Use the sole of your foot to stop the ball suddenly but lightly while hopping past the ball on your other foot.

When you land with both feet on the ground, the ball will be behind you.

Turn, and with the outside of your hopping foot.

Go past your opponent.

See next issue for more tips from Coerver Coaching or for further information please visit our website www.coerver.com.au

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What’s more important than your health?

CT Medicare Local (ACTML) is the ‘backbone’ organisation for the Canberra community’s health and wellbeing. We’re a nongovernment organisation that has worked closely with local general practices for over two decades. We’re also introducing innovative new primary health care services. We encourage Canberrans to form an ongoing relationship with a local family doctor as having a GP you see regularly and trust, even if you’re fit and well, often leads to better health outcomes. Your general practice becomes your ‘health care home’ for a broad range of issues including health prevention which is easy to ignore, but important. These days, general practices house not only your GP but nurses and allied health providers such as psychologists and nutritionists. And if the ‘team’ isn’t under one roof, chances are

your GP will have strong links with nearby allied health services like physiotherapists and pharmacists. Mild to moderate anxiety and depression are very common in our modern age. If you feel like you need

If you feel like you need someone to talk to and think you may have mild to moderate depression or anxiety that you would like to ‘nip in the bud’, you can access free support from one of our trained coaches someone to talk to and think you may have mild to moderate depression or anxiety that you would like to ‘nip in the bud’, you can access free

support from one of our trained coaches. Funded by Movember and beyondblue, our NewAccess Program has a small team of coaches who will help point you in the right direction, set practical goals and help you get yourself back on track. You can call the program directly on 02 6287 8066 and arrange for support by either meeting your Access Coach in person or over the phone. Another example of ACTML’s work is the “know your options” consumer awareness campaign to help you know where to get after hours health care in the Capital when health care is urgent and requires medical attention before the next day. Our research has shown many Canberrans don’t know where to seek health care in the after hours period, including public holidays. Check out the ad on this page. And when you’re on the go, just check www.afterhoursact.com.au for local after hours health care options.

ACT

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PLAY CANBERRA MAY 2014 029

Menslink

Raiders’ Prop Forward Jeff Lynch talks to Menslink’s Martin Fisk about tough times “Tough times don’t last, but tough people do!” These were the first words that Jeff said to me after his season-ending ACL injury earlier this year. After missing nearly all of last year’s season with a shoulder injury, you could forgive the bloke for feeling down in the dumps and wanting to give in and feel sorry for himself. Not Jeff. Here he describes his approach to life and the inspirational people who have helped him on the way. Jeff first heard the “tough times don’t last” saying during our Silence is Deadly sessions last year. It’s become something of a mantra for him as he takes setbacks in his stride, refocuses his goals and moves forward. For Jeff, it just reinforces an attitude he’s had all his life. Jeff Lynch has talent; lots of talent. You don’t get picked in the Raiders NRL squad at twenty without it. Yet talent isn’t enough to succeed and Jeff knows it. His childhood dream was always to play professional rugby league and he credits his mum and dad for building the work ethic that got him there. “Both mum and dad worked two jobs to keep the family going and bring up four kids. Mum in particular is a real inspiration and I wouldn’t be where I am today without her.” Jeff used that inspiration to move to Yass by himself, training, playing footy and holding down a full-time job. His typical day started at 3:45am where he’d wake and drive to Canberra to hit the gym at 5:30 before work started at 6:30am. After a nine hour working day, he would be back at the Raiders for four hours of training till 8:30pm when he would drive back to Yass ready to do it all again the next day. A ninety hour week. But the relentless hard work nearly cost Jeff his dream and, in fact, his life. A micro-sleep on the Barton Highway nearly caused a fatal accident and Jeff knew he needed to change something.

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“Tough times don’t last, but tough people do!” But he didn’t know who to turn to as he didn’t want to worry his family. Rather than bottling everything up inside, he turned to former Raiders player-welfare manager, Dean Souter. Dean didn’t hesitate – straight away offering the young guy a billet in his family home, saving him nearly two hours travel time a day and making his football career a reality. To this day, Jeff credits a big part of his success to Dean. “He became a great mentor to me – teaching me how to become resilient and also to really believe that I COULD achieve my dream.” But the dream was shattered by a torn ACL. Jeff remembers lying on the field thinking “well there goes my season – everything I’ve worked for, my dream, my goals.” He said that in the days after the injury he had a lot of time to think where he was and where he was going. “And the quote kept coming back to

me: tough times don’t last – tough people do.” With a bit of perspective, he said, two reconstructions are nothing compared to what others have to go through. Jeff’s advice to others on how to get past setbacks? “You need to reset your goals in the bigger picture. At first you just can’t believe the old ones are gone and you want to cling to that. But then you’ve got to be realistic, adapt and move through it. Nothing really valuable is ever easy and you’ve just got to handle bumps in the road along the way” For someone who’s had more than a few bumps on the way, his positive attitude is a real inspiration. He’s a real role model himself for young guys around Canberra. Menslink has been supporting young guys for over ten years through our free counselling, volunteer mentoring and schools’ programs. In that time we’ve helped thousands of young men get through tough or lonely times and develop into responsible, productive and contributing adults. More info: www.menslink.org.au www.playcanberra.com.au

Tennis

CLAY BEGINNINGS Lyndall Parker

ick Kyrgios is leading the way for a host of Canberra tennis players trying their luck around the world.

Countless hours honing his skills on the claycourts at Lyenham are paying off for rising ACT star Nick Kyrgios and a bunch of his contemporaries. Kyrgios, 19, won back-to-back ATP Challenger titles in America, a feat rarely achieved on the professional tour. The last player to do so as a teenager was Grigor Dimitrov (currently ranked 14 in the world) in 2010. Having only played one match since the Australian Open in January due to a persistent elbow injury, Kyrgios returned to the tour where he left off, winning eight of his 10 matches in straight sets. “Awesome couple of weeks,” tweeted Kyrgios after beating Serbian Filip Kranjinovic (ranked 158) in the Sarasota Open final and American Jack Sock (74) in the final of the Savannah Challenger in Georgia. “Nice rewards for the whole team and our hard work. Nice B’day pressie too!!” The clay-court titles have catapulted the big-serving right-hander to a careerhigh world ranking of 152 and gives him valuable confidence ahead of the second Grand Slam of the season this month – the French Open. Former coach and National Academy ACT head coach Todd Larkham said winning back-to-back tournaments was a “great achievement for someone so young”. The feat is even more significant, Larkham said, as clay isn’t traditionally a surface favoured by Australians, with the exception of women’s star Samantha Stosur. “Australia is not known for producing players who can win multiple matches on clay like Nick has just done,” he said. “All the hours Nick and the others spent on the Lyneham clay courts and the trips he took to Europe to play junior events have made him comfortable and confident on the surface.” www.playcanberra.com.au

Jake Wynan (left) and Jarred Wynan (right) playing doubles together at Louisiana.

Other Canberra players trying their luck on the professional circuit include Jake Eames (aged 23), Alison Bai (24), Alex Nancarrow (20) and Ashley Keir (19). While Kyrgios is leading the way on the professional tour, a pack of young ACT players is also achieving success in the US College tennis league. The league, in recent times, has become a great launching pad for professional players, former ACT coach and now US College recruiter Damien Ward said. “Now many are choosing to go to College before embarking on a pro career,” Ward said. “Players who have had good junior results in Australia are being offered amazing scholarships at some of the best universities in the world.” Leading the charge of ACT players currently in the US College system are 20-year-old Todd Volmari and 19-year-old Jake Wynan. Volmari is on scholarship at Loyola Marymount University on the US West Coast and has just had an outstanding 2014 season with a win-loss record of 26-9. At the University of Louisiana, Jake Wynan and his brother Jarred (21) are making their own mark. The brothers played key roles in leading their team to the Sun Belt Conference title for the first time in a decade, winning both their singles matches.

The Wynans, who grew up on a rural property near Nimmitabel in NSW, commuted to the ACT for several years to train at Lyneham alongside Kyrgios and Volmari. “Jake and Jarred are great kids who have worked really hard over many years to reach this level with their tennis,” Larkham, their former coach, said. “The US College tennis system has been great for them, not only do they continue to improve on the tennis court but at the same time they are obtaining degrees which will set them up for life beyond tennis. “All their hard work has really paid off for them.” Other ACT players currently on scholarships in the US include Andrew Zedde (University of Idaho) and Amery Clews (North West Missouri), while James Frawley (19) is also combining tennis and study based at the University of Canberra. Larkham said the elite tennis pathway is not just about being a professional player, it offers much more. “Competing and training teaches them what it takes to excel at something and what it means to strive to achieve their dreams.” Just ask Kyrgios, whose dreams are now being realised. PLAY CANBERRA MAY 2014 031

Dragon Boat

Leading by example By Joshua Matic @MaticJm

by Australian Dragon Boat Federation President Kel Watt, Goodes accepted an offer to formally appoint the male and female captains for last year’s World Championships in Hungary. President Watt could not be happier with indigenous developments within his federation, and cited Andrews’ selflessness and commitment as motivation for the federation to show leadership in promoting a healthy lifestyle for indigenous Australians. “What we’ll be doing now is hopefully showing leadership in the sporting context and challenge the other sports to follow our lead,” he said. “It’s a direct result of Adrian’s contribution and Marissa [female indigenous Aurora in 2011] and working with Adam Goodes that’s brought the introduction of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island flags about.” “It’s a good opportunity for dragon boating to show some leadership and take a step towards reconciliation as well.” Andrews began paddling in July 2011 with the Komodo Paddle Club after relocating to Canberra from Brisbane to take up a graduate role in the Attorney General’s department.

t’s the first sport in Australia to make use of all three of Australia’s flags, and it’s national squad’s first indigenous member Adrian Andrews feels the sport can reach out to indigenous youth and help mend social issues. In December last year Andrews, a former boxer and Australian silver medalist, became the first male indigenous dragonboater for the Auroras - the Australian team.

And after an intense two year journey to attain this accolade, he is fully prepared for what could be the busiest month of his life when he travels to Asia with the Auroras to race in the Asian Championships in Macau, the Hong Kong invitational, and the World Cup in Fuzhou, China. He is a very proud member of his native Jagera tribe - the traditional custodians of his home city of Brisbane. An awareness of what young indigenous people can achieve drives his own passion and commitment to dragon boating. “I know from personal experience that indigenous people aren’t highly represented in dragon boating, not just at elite level, but at club level,” said Andrews.

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“There’s bound to be indigenous youth out there that want to do sports other than the ones they’re highly represented in.” “It’s my firm belief that indigenous youth need to see one of their own in a certain position to help them aspire and believe they can reach that position themselves.” “For me it was a huge driving force in making the Auroras -‘you’re not just doing this for you. Think of the positive impact for your fellow indigenous people.’” Late last year the Auroras released the design of their 2014 jerseys, which in addition to the green and gold colouring will feature aboriginal artwork.

He soon found a love for the sport and decided to put his boxing aside despite picking up the silver medal at the Australian titles that year. He soon made the ACT state team before trialling for the Auroras in Canberra in January last year. He did not succeed on that occasion but was always focused on setting the best example and not giving up. Dragon boating at local level takes place during the warm months, but Andrews committed himself to winter training in Canberra with Auroras assistant coach Brendan Byrne.

The team will also be carrying the Aboriginal and Torres Straight Island flags during the opening and closing ceremonies at the Asian Championships and the World Cup in Fuzhou - an amendment to the Australian international flag bearing arrangements that was only recently passed by the national board on March 1.

After each afternoon session he did with the Auroras he would get off the lake in what he describes as a “near frozen” state because of constantly getting wet in the cold conditions.

And it is actions like these that got current Australian of the Year and Indigenous ambassador Adam Goodes on board.

He is now set for the biggest year of his sporting career, one in which he could return home to Australia a World Champion.

After Twitter contact was made to him

But Andrews knew that going above and beyond and making sacrifices was what he had to do to turn it all around and make the team

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Rugby League

Canberra Raiders Cup By Joshua Matic. @MaticJm

he 2014 Canberra Raiders Cup season has kicked off, and after just two rounds of competition at the time of writing, the competition looked much closer than it has in recent seasons. Three times out of the last four seasons premiers the Queanbeyan Kangaroos and the Gungahlin Bulls were the only undefeated side heading into round three, and bar two teams, each other side has won one game each. The Goulburn Workers Bulldogs could easily have won each of their tight two losses, while the Woden Valley Rams challenged the Kangaroos in round one before a round two hammering by Tuggeranong. As occurs every year, each club experiences losses and gains, and this year is no different. But it is already evident this season that that will make this competition more even as the season progresses. The Gungahlin Bulls have arguably received the greatest boosts, having signed two former Canberra Raiders NRL players in Lincoln Withers and David Howell which has so far worked a treat. Another former NRL star in Michael Barni, a former Many Sea Eagles winger, has joined the Goulburn Workers Bulldogs along with former Raiders fringe player Mick Picker, whom have built in two tight losses. To the Tuggeranong Bushrangers, and the men from the deep south have continued their rise to form that was 2013 in smashing Woden 42-6 in round two after a tight round one loss to Gungahlin. This season they are lead by former Raiders fringe player and Queensland Cup star Michael Brophy, who has continued his fine running and ball work at fullback that helped his side back to the finals last season. The West Belconnen Warriors stunned the competition in round one when they dispatched finalists and local rivals the www.playcanberra.com.au

Belconnen United Scholars 26-12, before suffering a 42-6 loss to Gungahlin.

got to take my time and make sure that they’re both alright.”

The Woden Valley Rams are largely unchanged this season as are the Scholars, but early form suggests they are in danger of finding early trouble.

For the Blues, star hooker Josh Chudley has departed, but they have welcomed back half Andrew McLean from England who has returned to play with his old club.

The Queanbeyan Kangaroos picked up Josh Mitchell from Tuggeranong in a crucial signing that adds to their playmaker options with star coach and captain Aaron Gorrell still out of the side.

While last year’s grand finalists have yet to fire, McLean’s inclusion boosts a star-studded lineup that includes former Raiders half Marc Herbert and former Raiders forward Trevor Thurling.

Jordan Macey and Luke Jones form their halves, while Mitchell and backs Ratu Tagive and Bryan Cronan are also key in establishing their backline.

NRL legend Simon Woolford’s men in the Blues carry high expectations with them this season, and should fire particularly in the back end of the season.

The Kangaroos are also without retired stars Jeff Donald and Lee Welsh, but welcome from Cooma Will Berry.

Kangaroos import Mitchell commented on the strength of the competition, and that there was a great vibe for rugby league with former NRL players Simon Woolford and Aaron Gorrell coaching the Blues and Kangaroos respectively.

Gorrell said he has to be cautious of his knees, of which both he has had reconstructed in the last two years, before making a comeback to the paddock. “I’ll train and see how the legs are. At the moment they’re good. But for now I’ll just be coaching, he said. “I’ve had left and right knee reconstructions in the last two years. It meant two long years in rehab so I’ve just

“You’ve also got Lincoln Withers [former Wests Tigers and Canberra Raiders player] over at the Gungahlin Bulls and Michael Brophy over at the Bushrangers who used to be an NRL fringe player,” he said. “I feel the competition is getting a lot bigger and a lot stronger.” PLAY CANBERRA MAY 2014 033

Sport Crossword No 28 1

7 8

6 Former England and Blackburn striker Alan ___ (7)

5 Gun (7)

7 Tennis great ___ Becker (5)

11 South African cricket brothers Gary and Peter (7)

9 Where they hold golfâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Desert Classic (5)

10 Baseball position (7)

12 League five-eighth, St George- Illawarra but now Penrith (5,6)

14 Storm, Queensland and Australia fullback (5,6)

13 14

Across

16 17

19 St George-Illawarra fullback Josh ___ (5) 21 Players in a netball side (5)

20 21

18 In the English Premier League, the Blues (7)

22 Italian football team (7)

Down 1 and 17 Down Australian Test batsman, often out of form (5,5)

You are your #1 critic. But you should also be your #1 fan.

2 Spanish football side (6) 3 The Moose Mossop (3)

- Deena Evans

4 City of the 1980 Olympics (6)

8 Rower (7)

13 Boxer (7) 15 Quick bowler, partner of Thomson (6) 16 Horsey (6) 17 See 1 Dn (5) 20 Unusual (3) crossword No 27 D D S A U G U S T B N Y C A D D Y I E R P E T E A G E M I L Z A A E T A T L A N T E G A R U N U P R E

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